Car door



K. J. TOBlN Oct. 27, 1936.

CAR DOOR Filed OOb. lO, 1934 2 She'etS-Sheeb 2 ATTX Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITE STATES PATE otros CAR DOOR of Ohio Application October 10, 1934, Serial No. 747,657

, v 17 Claims.

This invention relates to sliding doors for railway cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide sliding'doors for railway cars capable of alternate support'upon frictional and antifrictional means provided on the cars.

Y A` further object resides in the provision of sliding doors for railway cars frictionally supported in'V their normal or lowered position upon means provided on the cars and capable of being elevated and disposed for support upon antifriction means'provided on the cars.

A further object is to provide sliding doors for railway cars frictionally supported in their normal position upon the cars and co-operable means carried by said cars and including antifriction elements for elevating and supporting the doors for antifrictional movement,

rA further object is to provide sliding doors for railway cars frictionally supported in their nor'- mal position upon the cars and co-operable means carried by the cars and including an operating lever for elevating and providing antifrictional support for the doors, the lever being associated with the doors to4 impart opening movement thereto frorn'their closed position.

A further object is to provide sliding doors for railway cars and means provided on the cars for elevating and supporting the doors for movement between open and closed positions, the elevating means being actuated by the movement of the doors adjacent their open and closed positions to effect a lowering movement of such means and the doors.

Other 'objects of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

ln the drawings. forming part of this specicationg- Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating one embodiment Aofthe invention and showing the door in lowered position;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, showing the door in elevated position;

. Figure 3 isavertical section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical seotiontaken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

YFigure 5 is an enlarged detail of a part of the elevating means, showing the position thereof when the door is lowered; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, showing the position of the part of the elevating means when the door is in raised position.

In the drawings the numeral Ill designates a portion of the side of a railway house car which embodies a side sill I I. A door I2 is carried upon the car side in order to control the door opening customarily provided in the side of a railway car. The door may be of any desired construction and as illustrated is preferably formed of metal embodying a metallic panel I3 which may be provided with horizontal corrugations Ill and vertical corrugations I5 and I6 into which the horizontal corrugations may merge. A T-shaped member Il is secured to the lower margin of the door and is disposed with one of the flanges I8 thereof in a substantially vertical plane and the stem I9 extending outwardly and lying in a substantially horizontal plane.

The door I2 in its normal or lowered position is adapted to be frictionally supported upon the car side by means of a plurality of spaced brackets 2li secured, as indicated at 2i and 22, to the side sill II. The frictional support between the door and the brackets is established by the engagement of the flange I8 and the stem I9' of the T-shaped member I'I with the brackets, as clearly indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. This frictional engagement between the door and the brackets will obtain in the normal or lowered position of the door for all positions of the door between open and closed positions.

In order to move the door with ease mechanism is provided by means of which the door may be elevated so as to break the frictional engagement with the supporting brackets and support it upon antifrictional means. The mechanism provided for this purpose by the instant invention embodies a plurality of rollers 23 provided on the supporting brackets 20. Each roller is mounted upon an axle 24 which extends beyond the sides of the roller and is received within oppositely disposed guideways 25 and 26 provided in each bracket. A link 2l is supplied for each bracket which, as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, may be substantially H-shaped. The spaced upwardly extending legs 28 and 29 of the link receive the roller 23 and are provided with openings through which the axle 24 extends. The depending legs 36 and SI of the link receives between them a roller 32 which is fastened to said legs by means of a rivet 33. For the type of link illustrated it is preferred to employ a pair of bars 34 and 35 secured to the links by means of the rivets 33 so as to connect the links for simultaneous operation. Each of the brackets 2D is provided with a ledge 36 upon which the roller 32 rests and a pair of spaced projections 31 and 38 so arranged as to provide an intermediate depression 39. An abutment member 4l? is secured intermediate the rear ends of the connecting bars 343 and 35. Movement may be imparted to the bars 34 and 35 by means of an operating lever H pivoted in any desired manner upon the car side adjacent the forward edge of the door opening.

Figure l oi the drawings illustrates the door in its normal or lowered position in which irictional engagement between the T-shaped member I'd and certain of the supporting brackets is had. To move the door from the closed position the operating lever 4i is grasped and swung upwardly about its pivot. A pull is thus exerted upon the connecting bars 34 and 35 in the direction of closing movement of the door. As a consequence of this movement of the connecting bars the links 21 which, in the lowered position oi the door, aie angularly disposed, are made to assume a substantially vertical position, as clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 6 of the drawings. In the assumption of this position the rollers 32 roll upon the ledges 36, passing over the projection 3B and into the depression 39 provided on the ledges. As the links move from their inclined to their vertical positions an upward movement is imparted to the rollers during which the ends of the axles 24 move upwardly in the guideways 25 and 2S formed in the brackets. This upward movement of the rollers, by virtue of their engagement with the stem I9 of the T-shaped member I1, is imparted to the door which, consequently, moves upwardly and is supported upon the rollers. In the vertical position of the links 21 the projections 3l and 33 provided on the ledges 36 of the brackets cooperate with the rollers 32 to normally maintain the links in such position. The door may then be readily moved upon the rollers to any desired position. If the door is moved to its open position it will strike the abutment member lill adjacent such position, whereupon movement of the connecting bars 3d and 35 in the opening direction of the door is had with a consequent automatic lowering of the rollers and the door. Frictional engagement between the door and the supporting brackets may thus be established.

The operating lever 4l is provided with a flange 42 which, in the closed position of the door, is offset longitudinally from the forward edge of the stem I9. The amount of this oiset is such that as the lever is actuated engagement between the flange 42 of the lever and the stem I9 will occur subsequent to the support of the door1 upon the rollers and prior to the iinal lifting movement of the door. The flange 42 is thus eiective to impart an initial opening movement to the door when it is once supported upon the rollers. When the door is moved toward closed position the adjacent edge of the stem I9 of the T-shaped member il will engage the flange 42 adjacent the closed position of the door, causing the operating lever 4l to swing downwardly and, hence, impart movement to the connecting bars in the opening direction of the door. Such movement of the connecting bars will cause a lowering movement of the rollers 23 and, consequently, of the door so that the door automatically assumes its lowered position as it is moved to closed position.

It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the particular structure of the various parts thereof and that it may be modified so as to utilize a single connecting bar rather than the two connecting bars illustrated. 'I'his modication, as well as other modifications and changes in the details of the invention, will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be ccmprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means xedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements having vertical movement of translation relative thereto and mechanism for moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality of links, each link operatively engaging one of said elements and means for simultaneously actuating said links.

2. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means xedly secured to said car for irictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements having vertical movement of translation relative thereto and mechanism for moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality of angularly positioned links, each link operatively engaging one of said elements and means for simultaneously disposing said links substantially vertically.

3. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means iixedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality of links, each link operatively engaging one of said elements, an extension projecting laterally beyond one of said links, a shoulder providedon said means, said shoulder being cooperable with said extension for defining the upward limit of the movement of the rolling element engaged with said link and means for simultaneously actuating said links.

4. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means ixedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality of links, each link operatively engaging one of said elements, extensions projecting beyond said links, guideways provided in said means receiving said extensions, said guideways cooperating with said extension for limiting vertical movement of said rolling elements and means for simultaneously actuating said links.

5. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means xedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, guideways provided in said means, axles having their ends received in said guideways, rollers mounted upon said axles and mechanism for moving said rollers upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality of links, each link engaging one of said axles and means for simultaneously actuating said links.

6. In a railway car, in combination,l a slidable Cil doorya track provided on.` the lower marginv of said door,means ixedly secured-to said car for friction'ally` supporting said door, g'uideways provided in said means', axleshaving their ends received in said guideways, Vrollers 'mounted upon said axles andmechanism for moving said; rollers upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism'f'comprising a plurality of angularly positioned links, each link engaging one of said axles and means for simultaneously disposing said links substantially vertically.

7. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means xedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality7 of angularly positioned links, each link operatively engaging one of said elements and means for simultaneously disposing said links substantially vertically, and means for normally maintaining said links in vertical position.

3. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, means secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto, a ledge provided on said means and mechanism for moving said elements upwardly to engage and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising a plurality of angularly positioned links, one end of said links having operative engagement with said elements, rollers provided on the opposite ends of said links, said rollers having engagement with said ledge and means for simultaneously disposing said links substantially verti-` cally, said rollers rolling along said ledge during the angular displacement of said links.

9. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, means secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rollin'g elements movable vertically relative thereto, a ledge provided on said means and mechanism for moving said elements upwardly to engage and elevate said door, said mechanism Acomprising a plurality of angularly positioned links, one end of said links having operative engagement with said elements, rollers provided on the opposite ends of said links, said rollers having engagement with said ledge and means for simultaneously disposing said links substantially vertically, said rollers rolling along said ledge during the angular displacement of said links, and means provided on said ledge engaging said rollers for normally maintaining said links in vertical position.

10. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable' door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means i'lXedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto, devices each having operative engagement with one of said elements and movable bodily substantially parallel to said car for moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage and elevate said door and means for simultaneously actuating said devices.

11. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, means secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for simultaneously moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage and elevate said doorjsaid niechanismt'comprising a member 4having a movementof translation longitudinally-A of said car, an abutment carried by said member, said. door striking said abutment in the opening vmovement thereof to impart a lowering fmovementvtoA said rolling elements. "12."In arailwaycar, 'in combination', a slidable door, fmeans secured to said car for' frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for simultaneously moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising an operating lever, said lever engaging said door prior to iinal elevating movement thereof to impart initial opening movement to said door.

13. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, means secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for simultaneously moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising an operating lever, said door in its closing movement striking said lever to impart a lowering movement to said rolling elements.

14. In a railway car having a door opening, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, a plurality of spaced brackets secured to said car below said opening for frictionally supporting said door, a ledge on each bracket, a roller slidably associated with each bracket for vertical movement relative thereto, a link operatively associated with each roller, said links being supported upon the bracket ledges and means connected to said links for simultaneously moving the lower portions of the latter along said ledges and the upper portions of said links and said rollers upwardly whereby said rollers, through' engagement with said track, will elevate and support said door.

15. In a railway car having a door opening, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, a plurality of spaced brackets secured to said car below said opening for frictionally supporting said door, a ledge on each bracket, a roller slidably associated with each bracket for vertical movement relative thereto, a link operatively associated with each roller, said links being supported upon the bracket ledges and means connected to said links for simultaneously moving the lower portions of the latter along said ledges and the upper portions of said links and said rollers upwardly whereby said rollers, through engagement with said track, will elevate and support said door, said ledges having indentures receiving the lower portions of said links to maintain said door in elevated position.

16. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means xedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for simultaneously moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door, said mechanism comprising linksA operatively associated with said rolling elements and a member having a movement of translation longitudinally of said car connected to said links, the lower portions of said links having a movement of translation along said supporting means.

17. In a railway car, in combination, a slidable door, a track provided on the lower margin of said door, means fixedly secured to said car for frictionally supporting said door, said means being provided with rolling elements movable vertically relative thereto and mechanism for simultaneously moving said rolling elements upwardly to engage said track and elevate said door. said mechanism comprising links, the upper ends of which are operatively associated with said rolling elements and a member having a movement of translation longitudinally of said car and connected to the lower ends of said links 5 for imparting simultaneous movement thereto.

KENNETH J. TOBI'N. 

